Raskin announced his candidacy in a letter to colleagues Monday, pitting him against Nadler, who has held the party’s highest seat on the committee since 2019. However, Raskin said he made the decision because “the stakes have gone way up since the election,” echoing arguments that the committee may be one of Democrats’ best weapons to thwart a GOP trifecta in Washington. 

“This time the MAGA movement has not only a trifecta but a complicit Supreme Court waiting in the wings and a dominant media propaganda system parroting all the lies,” Raskin wrote. “House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy. That is our historic assignment now. We dare not fail.”

If successful, Raskin would be a counterpoint to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the dogged chairman of the committee who has been an effective defender of President-elect Donald Trump.

Raskin implored his colleagues to use the committee as a “front-line defense” against the incoming Trump administration, calling it crucial to defend key governmental agencies such as the Justice Department and the FBI. Raskin also pointed to his experience as a constitutional law professor and as the majority whip of the Maryland state Senate. 

He also cited his experience on a slew of House committees, such as the committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as well as his lead role in impeaching Trump in 2019. 

“In the 119th Congress, the Judiciary Committee will be the headquarters of Congressional opposition to authoritarianism and MAGA’s campaign to dismantle our Constitutional system and the rule of law as we know it,” Raskin wrote. “I hope to be at the center of this fight and — as someone who has battled cancer and chemotherapy — I can tell you that I will never, never surrender.” 

Raskin’s challenge to Nadler also underscores a wider trend among House Democrats to replace their generational leadership with younger lawmakers in order to combat the Trump administration and his GOP majorities in the House and Senate. The Washington Examiner reached out to Nadler’s office for comment.

Earlier Monday, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) dropped his bid for the top Democratic seat on the Natural Resources Committee, paving the way for Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) to take his place. With Raskin possibly taking over Nadler’s spot, his seat as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee will be up for grabs with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in the mix for possible successor.